The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has raised alarm over the directive by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ban the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles by December 31, 2025.
The association warned that the move could result in a loss of over ₦1.9 trillion in investments and lead to the retrenchment of more than 500,000 direct employees in the alcoholic beverage sector.
The Director General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, made this known in a public statement on Wednesday, describing the decision as abrupt and economically damaging.
He recalled that NAFDAC’s latest directive followed a resolution reportedly passed by the Senate at its sitting on Thursday, November 6, 2025, and said the decision undermines prior stakeholder consultations.
“This unexpected development is in dissonance with all stakeholders’ efforts on the matter and completely at variance with the subsisting position of the House of Representatives on the same issue,” Ajayi-Kadir stated.
The MAN chief noted that the issue of regulating alcoholic beverages in sachets and small Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles had already been resolved through an enlarged committee comprising industry representatives, NAFDAC officials, and other stakeholders, which validated the National Alcohol Policy in October 2025.
Ajayi-Kadir stressed that the ban contradicts existing policy frameworks, jeopardises billions of naira in private investments, and threatens the livelihood of thousands who depend on the industry for employment.
He appealed to the government and regulatory authorities to reconsider the directive and engage stakeholders in constructive dialogue to protect jobs, investments, and small businesses in the beverage manufacturing sector.
